


Sweet Sanctuary

by Spade_Storm



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Alternate Realities, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Tony Stark, Bottom Peter Parker, Civil War Team Iron Man, Daddy Kink, Established Relationship, Extremis Tony Stark, F/M, Guide Peter Parker, M/M, Male Pregnancy, Marriage, Married Couple, Miscarriage, Peter Parker is Intersex, Peter is 17, Praise Kink, Precious Peter Parker, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Kink, Protective Tony Stark, Sentinel Tony Stark, Sentinel/Guide Bonding, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy Tony Stark, Teen Pregnancy, Trans Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-07-03 19:39:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15825603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spade_Storm/pseuds/Spade_Storm
Summary: After barely making it back from Siberia, after surviving betrayal after betrayal, there is hope for Tony Stark.  Hope that Peter Parker will say "yes."Only when he does their bliss is cut short.  The joy and happiness that he dared to grasp ripped away by a megalomaniac with delusions of righteousness.  Tony hates him for more than the PTSD he gave him years ago during the first invasion.Tony doesn't make the call.  He lets Bruce deal with that but Vision, takes after his father more than Tony realizes, because he runs the numbers and they don't look good.  Vision makes his choice...He doesn't choose the world.





	1. The Honeymoon

**Author's Note:**

> I've never done an intersex or trans character but I imagine they're like every other person. With fears, wants, dreams, and desires. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the show!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter start their honeymoon.
> 
> Presents are exchanged.

Tony Stark sat in his office for the first time in years.  He went over all the paperwork in front of him with singular focus and occasionally glared at his email inbox, daring it to stroke his temper.  Everything was in place so that when he leaves at exactly 2:45 sharp, his company won't need him for the next six months.  Baring any world ending event or if Pepper got sick with a fatal disease, Tony Stark was unavailable.  

Because he's going on his _Honeymoon_.

With Peter Parker.

If anyone had told the Tony Stark of twenty years ago, he'd be married to a hero three decades younger than him, he'd have laughed in their face and then had them driven to the nearest hospital. The best treatment money could buy but a hospital nonetheless.  Except here he is, two years after the Avengers broke apart in a Siberian bunker.

Two years after Rogers almost **_murdered_** him...and got away with it.

* * *

_"Lung capacity compromised...broken ribs...sternal fracture...oh my god!...-ptured aorta!"_

_Everything hurts even the air against his cheek.  Everything hurts.  His heart, it hurt most of all. Make it stop. Just make the pain stop. **Yensen**?  JARVIS? Is this enough? Please, **please** let this be enough..._

* * *

After all, who would believe him, Tony Stark, over America's golden child, Captain America?  Even now, there are groups rallying for his return and singing him praise despite being an international fugitive.  Who would believe that Captain America would try to kill Tony Stark?  Sometimes, he wonders if the world would even care if the soldier had succeeded.

But he doesn't think that, not for long. Not these days. 

These days are filled with science chatter, tinkering in the lab, home cooked food on weekends, and impossibly soft skin against his Tom Ford suits. _Sometimes_ even against the armor.  Just the memory is enough to stir his cock but he ignores it and powers through the next set of documents.

Peter is legally able to consent, sweet seventeen and all that until August 10th, but they were still very much a secret until he graduated tomorrow.  The last thing Tony wanted was the media trying to get their dirty paws on his baby boy. His baby who agreed to be his partner for the rest of their lives. How long that will be is...still up for debate. To the public, Tony's life is half over but the public doesn't know about Extremis.

They don't know it's the only reason Tony Stark is even **_alive_**.

Thank whatever powers be for Helen Cho. When he was brought back from Siberia by Vision, the Cradle wasn't enough. It just couldn't keep up with the damage as layer after layer of the armor was removed and the injuries it kept held together.  His body needed a boost and Extremis, the modified version he'd completed, was needed once again.

Only the fucking assistant, whose name Tony never cared to remember _-Thomas something or other_ -used too much and sent Tony into cardiac arrest. The Cradle was already straining under the pressure and when Extremis threatened to burn him from the inside out, his implants, reading a threat to his person, activated in a bid to summon the nearest suit to his defense. The entire situation had become a complete SNAFU and everyone was sure he was going to die.

Except the implants may have tamed the virus. When they went online, Extremis latched onto them like a leech and assimilated them.  Or perhaps it was the other way around, the data on that is still murky.  But the Cradle benefited from the mess when it seemed to get super charged following the trails left by the virus, and spitting out conflicting information on his status. This went on for over three hours before the machine finally overloaded and crashed.

But he made it out alive. 

* * *

_He remembers the color red with streaks of orange and blue-like fire.  Like stars..._

_Light and Fury screaming without a voice.  Hydrogen burning in his chest, burning at the End of the World..._

_The warmth of a light caress on his skin, in his blood, inside his bones.  Suns melt away the cold and the sound of his own heart pounding, echoed inside his own ears for the first time in years._

* * *

He came around a week later without a single sign of trauma.  Which is a freaking miracle.  But there was a lot of confusion on Tony's end especially with Helen  apologizing like she killed his favorite cat or something.  Apparently the assistant was a plant.  Fortunately, Peter had been there, visiting since the beginning, when the assistant tried to sneak away.  To do _what_ no one has been able to figure out or who he was working for but when it looked like he was going to be caught and interrogated, he started to foam at the mouth.  

Suicide by cyanide capsule in his mouth.  

It wasn't the first time someone's tried to kill him but it _was_ the first time someone's attempt actually **_saved_** his life.

The official story is that injuries from the media dubbed "Civil War" required surgery and an assassin made an attempt on his life.  Due to security and health reasons, Tony Stark was unavailable for several months.  It hid the true extent of...Tony's _newness_ and there was _a lot_ of newness.  Peter was a godsend, helping with the physical aspects, boxing and wrestling to get Tony acclimated to his new strength.  He couldn't beat the teen in a straight test of strenght but he outranked the kid in skills so they were often even matched.

It still annoyed the hell out of the genius that he was the same as Rogers now.

Super human. 

As if there was anything wrong with being a regular human.  It rankled his pride as a person and as an engineer. Again, Peter appeared like a heaven sent gift, draining the resentment away with his sincere goodness and fuck it all, Tony had no defense against the kid.  Peter was genuinely glad the billionaire made it back to Siberia okay and that there was someone he didn't have to worry about hurting by accident.  That's not to say that Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, Vision, or any of his babies weren't glad he's back.  

It felt nice being **_wanted_** just for his presence, independent of relying on him for anything.  Just...his companionship.  His person.

That should have been a red flag, right there.  But no, Tony completely missed it.  In his defense, Tony has very little experience, close to none, of true sincerity and Rogers' betrayal certainly threw his perception of "good" right out the fucking window.  Tony let the spidering keep the suit and he came back with a pie, an actual homemade blueberry pie.

* * *

_"You made this?"_

_Tony still can't shake the shock from his face.  Getting an actual pie was one thing, discovering ~~his little~~ spidering could bake homemade pies, is something else entirely._

_"Well, yeah. I mean..." The teen blushes and twists his hands along the frayed edges of his sweater.  The thing insults Tony's eyes.  It looks comfortable, all soft and fluffy looking, but so worn it has a hole in one sleeve and there is a large tear at the waist. "I'm no Martha Stewart but it's to thank you for the suit.  Aunt May can't...she doesn't have a lot of practice, not that she can't cook! She can but I learned from Uncle Ben and he taught me because he wanted me to know how to cook instead of living off of take out."_

_"I live off of take out." Tony can't help but throw out there.  Mentally, he's screaming at himself but that is also ignored in favor of watching Peter's expression go through at least a dozen emotions at the reveal.  Its hilarious, a bit intimidating, and really... ~~sexy~~ interesting._

_"Mr. Stark."_

_The way the teen says his name makes something curl in his gut and a bit lower.  Its not disappointment or scolding, not like some people he knows.  Its a declaration of intent, a promise dressed in politeness and kindness._

_"I can cook for you."_

_The very inappropriate hard on is really difficult to ignore._

_"Sure. I look forward to it."_

_Of course his mouth goes off before his brain can catch up._

* * *

Right after that Tony moved into his Manhattan penthouse.  It wasn't the tower or the compound but the hero needed a break.  He knew he needed a break and wasn't that terrifying?  Tony Stark, workaholic galore, knowing he needed time off? The world was ending.  But Tony _did_ need the break and not because he didn't have things to do.  The other bits of his upgrade were starting to give him a migraine without Peter to help mitigate the worse of it.  FRIDAY tried but she could only do so much from her end and he really couldn't fault her for being so young.  

It's also not everyday her creator spontaneously becomes a technopath.  

The problem lies in filtering what he doesn't want which is hard since Tony is always thinking, innovating, and just generally pushing the boundaries.  Technology is always on, always there and sometimes that makes it really hard to focus.  There's just a huge cloud of noise that he can't turn off and the less said about the internet the better.   ~~Its like staring into a black hole and he cant~~ -

He's building firewalls and Peter helps, _so_ , much. The teen's senses are dialed up to eleven and it took him hours the first time just to block out everything in a two mile radius. But he shares these experiences, ~~so intimate~~ , with Tony and it _helps_.  He's not spontaneously falling into his head listening to his employees private lives anymore.  

Its at the penthouse that Tony can't hide from Peter, the desire but Peter doesn't push him.  He smiles and holds his hand while they watch some movie on Netflix.  And Tony is _**weak**_.  He clings to that, the gentle intimacy, and falls into Peter's life. It isn't perfect which comforts Tony somehow but its close enough to perfect that Tony lets down his guard. 

The Vulture throws one helluva wrench into that quiet tranquility but after, after Peter is a little closer to seventeen and a little less insecure about who he is.  The teen pushes and _pushes_ and Tony is weak.

* * *

  _"Please?" Peter begs, looking up at Tony from his long lashes, "Just a kiss.  Its not sexual or anything.  I just want to know what its like."_

_"To kiss a guy?"_

_"To kiss the guy I like."_

_"Peter..." Tony doesn't want to stop at kissing.  That's the problem._

_"I'm not asking for a ring." Peter looks away, wistful and sad. "I just want a kiss from someone who sees me."_

_And Tony gets it.  He does.  He's seen Peter's medical records and he knows that Peter goes to a public school for smart kids.  He can guess how quickly that secret got out and how it's been used against the boy in front of him.  It doesn't take away from how gorgeous the boy is, how contradictory he is standing in front of Tony, soft and powerful.  He grasps Peter's chin in one hand and makes him meet his gaze._

_"I've never **not** seen you."_

_Tony kisses him breathless, makes the boy's knees weak and his little cocklet hard.  Tony behaves and keeps his hands at Peter's waist.  He kisses the boy like a man starved but leaves bruises like an animal.  Peter breaks the kiss to gasp, lips a bruising red, eyes dark, and moans._

_"Oh, daddy."_

_Tony's breath hitches and tightens his grip on Peter's hips. He stares, wide eyed, and gives a shaky exhale. Was this hell?  Heaven?  Is there a difference? All he knew for sure was a dark precipice loomed before him and Peter, who held the power to send him over the edge, stood in the way._

_"Peter," his voice is rough, he doesn't know what to say, and his hands tremble. "Baby, you...you"_

_"Thank you for the kiss daddy." Peter smiles and leans against the older man's chest.  The teen doesn't froth or grind but from the grip on his shoulders Tony can tell he wants to.  "Promise to wait for me, daddy? For when I'm a big boy?"_

_Tony thinks he might be falling for this boy._

_"Of course, baby.  Daddy'll be ready just for you."_

* * *

Waiting was hell.

That simple.  Tony kept busy but being busy was hell when temptation walked into his home.  The only saving grace was that temptation was a polite, innocent, shy baby boy who showed mercy to Tony's battered soul.  They kissed and cuddled but hands didn't travel lower than his boy's hips.  Tony Stark may be a shameless flirt and a playboy but he's also a gentleman.   ~~Edwin Jarvis showed him how it was done.~~  For the sake of his sanity, Tony found ways to stay busy.  He practiced, learned the limits of his abilities, completed the bits of paperwork that Pepper sent his way, and even studied the data from his surgery, from Extremis.  He was on to something there, he knew he was and Tony wasn't going to let it go.

Tony also bought his baby boy new clothes and toys.   

It didn't take much longer before Peter started to ask for very specific things, always a bit nervous, shy and doe eyed.  With every gift, he relaxed and grew bold.  Now, Tony knew Peter is a _boy_ , no matter what was or was not between his legs and his boy looked _good_.  He looked better in Tony's things, in the gifts Tony bought for him.  His baby also looked fucking _fantastic_ in the things he asked for, like the silk panties specifically.  Oh, his baby's face was cherry red but he still showed Tony a picture of what he wanted.

Then, the minx had walked around in them and one of Tony's dress shirts.  For his senses, he said, and his sensitive skin.  Tony already knew his boy was sensitive but he hadn't counted on Peter using that to...to...to model for him!

Tony had never felt more like a teenager since he was one, with how often the boy had him masturbating. He'd never been more grateful for his baby's birthday.

* * *

_"Feels so good, Daddy!"_

_Peter curls his toes and Tony watches with rapt attention as his baby comes. He's beautiful and breathtaking laying back on crimson silk sheets.  There are only two fingers inside his pretty pink folds and his other hand pumps Peter's baby cock languidly.  Tony wants to draw this out, wring every drop of pleasured scream from pouty lips, and make sure Peter knows exactly who he belongs to._

_"That's it baby, that's a good boy."_

_Peter's cock is about the length of one of his fingers and there isn't a single drop of precum in sight.  But his boy pussy practically weeps onto his hand.  Tony doesn't stop the moan falling from his lips because his baby is sexy as hell._

_"Look at you." He coos, "My sexy baby, my gorgeous boy. Your boy pussy leaking out all over my hand and your baby cock, so pretty for me.  Only for me, right baby boy?"_

_"Please, please daddy."_

_"Say it." Tony pumps his sensitive cock faster.  He takes his fingers out and uses the boy's juices to lube his cock a bit more before putting them back inside, aiming for that place to make him scream again._

_"Only for you daddy! Please, only for you!"_

_Tony kisses his baby, its wet and hot, but he gives his boy what he wants.  Taking out his wet fingers again, he aims further down, and pushes one blunt finger into the tight ring of Peter's hole.  Tony almost comes right there as Peter spreads his legs wider for him.  He adds a second and a third soon enough but he watches Peter's face.  He watches for any sign of pain or fear but Peter looks back, eyes glazed and hungry._

_"Come on, daddy.  Give it to me." The teen bites his bottom lip. "I wanna feel you cum inside me."_

_"Fuck."_

_He reaches over to pour more lube into his hand, lathers up his own cock and pushes inside that winking ring of muscle.  He's barely half way in and he already wants to ruin the boy.  Peter's back arches but Tony keeps going, bottoming out._

_"Oh fuck, holy shit...Fuck, fuck...so tight, baby, so fucking tight for daddy." His eyes almost roll back but he keeps still because the boy feels fucking amazing, hot and tight.  Its like there's a hot glove two sizes too small gripping his dick._

_"Daddy," Peter moans, a trail of drool falling from the side of his mouth. "You're so big. Bigger than my toys."_

_Peter's hands tear at the sheets beneath him as he writhes on his Daddy's cock. There's a massive blush the covers the boy's entire chest and his eyelids flutter at the input of stimulation._

_"I can feel you Daddy, can feel all of you. You're so thick, so hot."_

_The teen jerks at a throb from Tony's cock. "Gonna fuck you so good baby. Daddy's going to give you his load. You'll take it won't you? You'll be a good boy for me and take my hot cum won't you."_

_"Yes! Fuck, yes, daddy!"_

_Tony slides back half way before thrusting back in and then again, his hips slapping against his lover's. His thrust are long and hard, enough that the bed moves with the motion.  He shifted only slightly, to aim the head of his cock to Peter's sweet spot and Peter let him know exactly when he found it.  The incoherent screams and moans became music to Tony's ears.  He fucks his boy, rails into his baby's hole over and over._

_The only sounds are the wet squelching of his cock against Peter's cheeks and their shared pleasure.  Tony growls as he watches his lover come undone beneath him and he just knows, with this one taste, he'll never get enough.  The teen's hands come up to grab at his arms, digging his nails in to flesh but the wounds start to heal, and just a glance at that spurs Tony on._

_His hips snap harder and faster.  He leans down to kiss his boy's roses lips._

_"Fuck, Peter." He growls and reaches for the other's neglected cock._

_"Tony! Daddy! I'm-"_

_Peter didn't need to tell him, he could feel the teen's muscle clamp down on his cock like a vice but he pushed through, aiming for his sweet spot.  With a final shout, his baby came, trembling and shaking, before going limp.  He take advantage of the pliant body and jackhammers into his baby, chasing his own release.  His dropping over the edge with a growl and shooting his load, coating his Peter's walls white, and he stays there as an impromptu plug, even as some of his cum leaks out spilling onto the sheets._

_Peter is practically catatonic but is still polite as ever. "Thank you daddy.  That...that was amazing."  The smile he gives Tony is absolutely filthy._

_"Can we do it again?"_

* * *

That night had been amazing and with Tony's enhanced body, they were able to go several more rounds before collapsing in a tangle of limbs.  Later, he woke up to the smell of pancakes, oatmeal, and an egg and bacon breakfast courtesy of his spider baby. Tony made sure his sweetheart knew just how much he appreciated the late breakfast. 

Which he found he actually needed considering the hellstorm he walked into that day.  The day he walked into work was also the same day he wanted to walk right back out.  He's had his fair share of days where he just wants to throw everything down and set it on fire.  That had been one.  Apparently some protest group or whatever was petitioning Stark Industries to support pardons for the Rogues.

The problem lay in that they started by getting the support of a few senators in DC and got them to go along with their agenda.  But Tony was not going to stand for that.  He might be willing to accept a lot but bringing them back?  After everything, after almost dying, _again_?

No. Unacceptable.

So, he made it very clear that Stark Industries will not support terrorists.  Which started another fire pretty much everywhere.  The entire situation pissed him off enough that he gave Pepper the order to move S.I. HQ to somewhere out of the country.  Australia seems nice and any employees willing to move with the company won't have to worry about a language barrier.

It would take about a year, give or take a few months, but with Pepper at the helm Tony could be assured that it would get done.  He may not love her like he does  Peter but he fully appreciates that's she's stayed by his side for so long. He can appreciate how perfect she is.  The sad truth is, she's just not perfect for him, for Iron Man and Tony Stark.

That was last years news.

However, that didn't stop the annoyances from popping up like a demented set of badgers. Pepper has everything set up and has managed to maneuver the company out of the UN Accords crossfire.  She's also managed to fend off the US President and pretty much the rest of Congress like a fine painter making strokes on canvas.  If the genus were not in committed relationship, he'd probably find that hot but since its one of his best friends, Tony settles for quietly impressed and nervously laughing.

Pepper can be scary.

"Boss," FRIDAY's voice snaps him out of his haze. "You wanted a thirty minutes warning before it was time to pick up Peter."

"Right, right." He looks over his desk pleased he managed to vanquish the ~~devil spawned creations~~ paperwork. "Got the car ready, my gal?"

"Full tank, luggage, and all the essentials, Boss.  The jet is also fueled and I've managed to conceal the coordinates.  The Iron Legion is on standby at all predetermined locations and the house is fully stocked for the next four months until the assembly line is complete."

"So, we're on schedule. Perfect." He goes over everything in his office one more time before standing and grabbing his suit jacket. "Lock everything else down unless Pepper, Happy or Rhodey say so.  All other access is denied and if it gets too hairy throw them out."

"Trespassing is bad."

His AI says that with such mischief he can't help but laugh.  He'd feel bad for the poor asshole who tries to target SI while he's away but he really doesn't.  He's done feeling sorry for other people's mistakes.  If he kept doing that who would be there to protect Peter?

"That it is, baby girl, that it is." Once in the elevator, alone, and it starts down to the private garage, he frowns thoughtfully. "Fri, what about my present?"

"I had it delivered using one of the legionnaires, Boss."  She doesn't answer out loud, using code instead, "I had it wrapped like a gift box so if any satellites saw they'd just think you were showing off.  I had it enter stealth mode half way over the Atlantic."

"Good."  The last thing he needed was someone asking questions about what he was doing, again.  Bad enough the rumors surrounding the Rogues may be true and they might get those pardons even without Tony putting in the work for it.  He doesn't need anymore rats snooping around his nest.  The less who know about his latest discovery the better. 

Well, except for one but Peter has always been the exception.

* * *

"It's beautiful." 

Peter spins around, awe and excitement still a prominent light in his eyes.  They stood in the foyer of his manison, freshly built and completely private, far from civilization, on his private island.  There were labs underground, training rooms, two kitchens, game rooms, a theatre room, and the master suite, their room.  He had everything look and feel exactly like the penthouse.

There was no expense unpaid.  Everything is new and top of the line, designed with Tony's own two hands and why not? It is after all their honeymoon and if Tony is really lucky, their future home.

On his baby's finger lay proof of their relationship.  A [ring](https://www.etsy.com/listing/495241332/men-wedding-band-unique-wedding-ring?ref=shop_home_active_16) meticulously crafted and placed in a box.  A ring offered and accepted with tears and love.  A [matching](https://www.etsy.com/listing/232101056/trillion-cut-diamond-wedding-band-for-a?ref=shop_home_active_19) ring sat on his own finger and every time Tony reaches for Peter, he never hesitates to reach back, to interlock their fingers. They have to wait two months before their union can be legalized without parental consent or in the event that May might deny them, a scandal.  

Peter gives a sad smile at the thought of his aunt but he's determined that his marriage would be his.  Tony kisses his ring finger as a sign of his support.  He really wants to encourage his fiancée to speak to his aunt but said aunt isn't a fan of him.  He doesn't want to come between family but at the same time, Peter is determined that his aunt not come between them.

"You can still love family, even if they don't talk to you anymore." Was all he said on the subject and Tony let it go.  

He knew how complicated family can be and he has no problem waiting a few more months.  Rhodey had the paperwork ready to file the day Peter turned eighteen and Pepper already had the PR department on alert if it got out before than.  Happy, the unlucky of the trio, had a hand written letter from Peter to his aunt so that she would know the same day the paperwork is filed.

All of their bases are covered.

"Give me a tour?"

That night Tony makes love to his fiancé, cradles him in his lap as the teen sinks down onto his cock, and kisses him slow. There's no rush here. He rocks and rolls his hips, knows that his sensitive boy will feel every ridge and inch of his dick. He licks a nipple, runs his tongue over the hard pebble, wraps his mouth around it and sucks. The scream he gets is worth every scratch and bruise that will heal by tomorrow. 

The genius pulls away with an obscene pop and blows on it gently, before he moves on to the other one. Even when his boy comes, he keeps Peter riding him.  They have all night and soon, very soon, the rest of their lives.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

 


	2. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper can hold a grudge. The Avengers hold down the fort and the Rogues realize just different things really are.
> 
> There is no Tony Stark to back them up and they come to understand what that means for them.
> 
> Meanwhile, our couple make some revelations to each other.

* * *

Pepper envisioned many things about her life.  She expected her life to go a certain way, a degree, a stable career and maybe a committed relationship.  

She did not expect Tony Stark or that his very presence would derail her life.  Or that she would grow to care for him and become friends.  For a short time there was potential, a potential for something between them, a life they could have but that possibility burned out.  Not because Tony refused to commit but because she didn't understand his need, his drive to be Iron Man, not like he needed her to.

But that didn't mean she couldn't support him.  That didn't mean she stoped loving the man who saw potential in _her_ , in what she could be if given the opportunity.

Even when he was **_dying_** and oh, how the memory of that time still burned.  It rankled and hurt.  It was the first sign that they wouldn't work because how could she miss that something was wrong?  Eventually all the little things and the big things led them to this, to the here and now.  She's CEO of her best friend's company, one of the most powerful women in the world, and said best friend is away on his honeymoon with his soon to be husband whose almost three _decades_ younger than him.

Well, its not she hasn't seen worse.  In a few hours it also won't matter in the grand scheme of things either.

Pepper rises from her chair once the meeting is over and leaves the room. On her way to her office she stops by PR and heads straight for Miranda's office.  Miranda Meyer has been with S.I. since Tony was a teen and the woman has never failed in doing her job.  She may have...not been as committed with certain parts of Tony's life but she has never not supported him.  

The older woman looks up from the files on her desk, eyes a pool of hardened steel and shoulders relaxed.  Pepper takes the seat offered.

"It's time." She pulls out a plan envelope and puts it on her desk. "Once this is filed you know what to expect."

"There are already a few strategies in place.  Little Anthony isn't the first person to marry someone years younger than him."

"But he _is_ Tony Stark." 

"Yes, yes, I know." She opens the folder and looks over the documents. "I've never understood the obsession with his faults.  He's as human as the rest of us but this is the hand we've been dealt and we will weather it as we've always done."

"Will you need anything?"  Miranda gives her a gentle smile.  

Pepper isn't fooled though.  Miranda could be a monster when it suited her and the only collar keeping her in check isn't here.  Even _if_ Pepper were so inclined to curtail some of her methods, she wouldn't be able to.

"Nothing at the moment.  If I do, you'll hear from me."

"Good." She opens her briefcase and places another document on her desk. "We have another issue that needs to be seen to."

"Oh?" She gives the first page a brief scan before snapping her gaze back to the red head across from her. "Is either Mr. Stark aware of this?"

"No.  No communication unless the world is ending and this is more of an annoyance.  Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would." Miranda agrees with a slight small at her lips. "I would also make a few recommendations for getting ahead of this situation before their return.  I'm sure you've already made sure Marcus has seen to this?"

"Yes, he has and he's already prepped the rest of legal to counteract."

More like the entire legal department is ready to declare war and again, without Tony curtail the more ruthless tendencies, Pepper is more than happy to let them loose.   

Because the United States has agreed to issue the Rogue Avengers pardons against the various wishes of protestors in and out of the country.  Then, those same people have the audacity to turn to Stark Industries and present proposal after proposal to have them cater to the terrorists every need.  The contract placed before Miranda is a physical representation of that insult.  It include the building and upgrading of weapons, housing, food, and even legal representation.  

There are also other things in that contract that infuriate Pepper to the point of stirring the dormant Extremis in her blood.  It wasn't anything like Tony's active version but it was enough to make a difference.

And if Pepper was feeling such a way she didn't doubt that by the time the rest of S.I. heard what was going on the fury would be shared all around.  After all, there were a few employees who were present when Tony was brought back from Siberia and there is no lost love among the company's employees.

"What has Captain Danvers to say?"

"Officially, she is disappointed in her countries actions but respects their ability to make the choices they see fit."

"Unofficially?"

"She wants to punch a lot of people in the face." A pause. "A lot."

"I bet." The older woman huffs a short laugh. "I imagine all the other Avengers will be very unhappy if the Rogues show themselves at the compound."

"I imagine you would be right."

The new roster, the one Tony worked so hard to build so that he didn't have to shoulder the burden alone, Captain Marvel, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage and The Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange made up the current New York Branch.  Under the Captain's new command, other teams were being evaluated and formed in other countries but the compound in New York is still considered the Avenger HQ.

Not a single one would be happy with the current turn of events.

"Including a certain martial artist, yes?"  The look Miranda gave Pepper would have been piercing if it weren't for the smirk.  "A rather handsome young man with a company of his own and not needing a new one."

"He _is_ an Avenger last I checked." Pepper refused to raise to the bait, even as her cheeks warmed.  She managed to avoid the previous landmine the older woman dropped in the conversation but this was, specifically, not about Daniel Rand _or_ the Iron Fist.  

"Well, no worries Ms. Potts." The infernal smirk didn't disappear. "We've got everything covered. I believe you have an important lunch date to attend.  Wouldn't want to keep a man like that waiting, would we?"

Damnit.

(Lunch turns out to be a lovely affair.  Daniel is nothing less than an absolute gentleman.)

* * *

The old t.v. blares in the otherwise quiet motel room.

It was a bit cramped for four but Natasha had taken Wanda with her so Steve and Sam had some breathing room.  It wasn't for long but enough for the two men to feel comfortable until their female counterparts returned.  It had been some time since the super soldier had a moment, a true moment, to really sit down and think.

He wonders.

Clint and that ant guy went their own ways, turning themselves and getting house arrest.  Steve wonders if the deals they got is because of Tony, if Tony's fury abated enough to begin working to bring the team back.  Then, he wonders if Tony really _is_ trying to bring them home or if he was only generous with the two men because they have families to return to and who count on them.  But there is no mention of Tony in any of the cases and Steve doesn't recognize any of the lawyers.  

Did he pay them behind the scenes?  Steve didn't know and it bothered him.  It made him anxious and nervous.  What was Tony doing?  What was his aim? His end goal?  Tony always had a plan even when it seemed like he didn't.  Steve appreciated that aspect of him, that reinforcement and safety net.  Except now that was no longer the case and he had no idea what Tony would do next.

Because Tony is like a maelstrom, powerful and chaotic, a personification of pandemonium.  

Steve could never see anything about the man beyond his engineering and the show he put on for the public.  Tony had so many masks he had a hard time trusting what he was seeing was real.  The only thing he knew for sure was that Tony, Iron Man, had a good heart.

Sometimes that heart had good intentions and it ended in catastrophe.

Like Ultron.

Like Siberia.

Steve firmly believed that the Avengers were a way to curb some of that destruction except they failed, _twice_.  Now they were broken apart and there was little to stop Tony from doing something just as terrible.  He wouldn't do it on purpose, Steve knew that, but without a safety net to protect the people and Tony from the fallout, chaos was all that awaited them.

They had to be prepared but they'd also caused enough hurt and pain to cause the people to distrust _them,_ too.  They needed to get that trust back.  That was what Natasha was doing, her job meant getting them back stateside using the connections she still had while they kept moving.  Getting that done would allow Steve and his team to earn back the public's trust.

It would not be easy, he knew.  But it would be worth it for him, his team and for everyone else, too.

Bucky had to stay back in Wakanda.  Steve didn't begrudge the young King for not being able to host them and he _had_ explained himself.  T'Challa could not keep both Bucky and the rest of the team in his country.  Steve wasn't about sacrifice Bucky's safety for a cushy bedroom so they left and the King was kind enough to give them a lift off of the continent.  

But it seemed everything else was falling apart since then.  The team was down two members, Natasha has to pull a lot of strings to get them pardons and Wanda's entire demeanor is just depressing, no doubt missing both Clint and Vision.  But everything should start changing soon if Natasha's contacts come through.  They'll be able to go home.  They can go back and try to fix the mess they made of their family.

Speaking of teams, the new "leader" of the Avengers, a dame named Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel had made a statement last week about how disappointed she was in her country's decision to pardon terrorists.  Which was outrageous! They weren't terrorists!  The anger quickly drains out of him, however, at some of the impromptu interviews with the people.

The people who think they're terrorists.

He wants to say they're not _real_ people, that they're actors, but Tony once mentioned that reporters _do_ interview people on the street.  They might edit who they show to highlight a certain point of view but otherwise they kept it unedited to try and to reach the more skeptical viewers.  But that just means they need to get back as soon as possible, they need to get back to showing the people that they're purpose has always been to protect them.

It would be easier if Tony was helping them. 

A lot of things would be easier if Tony was helping them.

"So it's real." Steve comes back to reality with a sigh as another news anchor blares a picture of Pepper on screen during yesterday's press conference. "Stark Industires is really moving out of the country. You think it's because of us?"

There's been rumors of Tony's company moving it's HQ out of the U.S. but no confirmation. Now that the team's pardons are coming through it looked like Tony was making his move. But Steve didn't understand it. Was he running away? Was he playing some kind of game?

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "Tony was always the best at the political game. He thrived in it, loved it. I couldn't tell you if it's against us or someone helping  us."

"You know this still looks bad for us right?" Sam says after a short silence and Steve frowns, confused. "If they move we look bad because we either didn't side with their owner or because they think we're a threat. S.I. employs _thousands_ of people in the U.S. alone, and if they pull out it'll look they're evacuating."

"Like we're something Tony needs to protect his employees from."

"Yeah..."

The atmosphere turns grim. Tony has always been a powerful member of the team but he never realized just how much power one man could wield until it's been turn against him. If this a power move, and its looking like it, than its one hell of a tactic.

"We still have to go back. We have to fix this."

"There's going g to be a lot of...push back."

"There already is."

With this act, Tony has pretty much declared a political war against Steve and his team. Besides the heavy mistrust between them and other countries, moving his company will paint one giant red target on their backs.  He isn't sure what this means for them, for the Avengers, but the most disturbing thing that Steve can gather is how _**quiet**_ Tony has been.

Tony, for as long as Steve has known him, has never remained silent.  There was always a comment, a jab, a snarky comeback but for all this drama, Tony doesn't make a _sound_.  

Its like he's disappeared from the face of the earth and all that's left to show he even existed are echoes of his footsteps.

Steve knows, _knows_ , that Tony only ever ignores something that is beneath him.  He ignores the little things and the people not worth his time.  So this?  This quiet is disturbing because that means...that in Tony's world, they don't matter.  That they are worth no more than a speck of dust on his shoes.

Its terrifying because if Tony has abandoned them...if he's truly left them to the wolves, going home maybe the beginning of a much harder journey.

So, Steve hopes. He hopes even when a cold shiver trails up his spine when Pepper denies an interview or a statement from Tony.  He hopes...

* * *

Everything feels almost like dream.

Tony can't quite remember when things were this good. He knows there were good times before everything went to shit but right now, all he can think of is tinkering in the labs with his husband, lounging in the pool or in the living room, cooking and eating together. Bing watching whatever new/old show or movie from Netflix and streaming random shows. They built suits and made modifications to Peter's suit and geeked out over explosions that left them covered in soot. 

Plus, lots and lots of sex.

The sex is the cherry on top to his slice of life.  All that was left was Tony's gift, the one he hoped Peter said yes to. Yesterday was his birthday and his baby turned 18. A quick confirmation over holoscreen and they were _officially_ husband and husband. But, Tony has always been a greedy person when it came to the people in his life.

For Peter?  For the one he put a ring on, the one who now shares his name?  There is no exception.  His sweet, goofy, smart and compassionate baby boy is just the light he's always been searching for.  

So, he offered his husband his greatest creation, an accumulation of science and sleepless nights.

A Miracle made Flesh.

A glittering pink peach.

The skin is smoother than an apple, its lighter than a kiwi, and it _glowed_ with a soft pink light.  When Peter held it in his hands, cupped gently as if it were the world's most fragile pixie, Tony spoke the truth, soft but steady.

"I cracked the code on what happened during my little _accident_.”

He smiles at Peter’s awe.

”This changes everything, Pete. I ran the tests dozens of times, hell, I’m living _proof_. I haven’t aged a day since then.”

”Is that...” Peter looks down at the peach eyes impossiblily wider. “Is this...?”

”Yeah, yeah it’s is. My version of the supposed _Golden_ _Apple_. Don't know if I'll be able to ask Thor, no idea where the hell he's disappeared off to.  But, my pretty little peach does what it says on the tin, promises a very long life, a damn near immortal life. There's no invulnerability but I won't age like the rest.  I can always find a way to reverse it later but I can't do that right now, the tech isn't there yet.  Which, coming from _me_ , is saying something."

”You’re offering this, to me?” 

Tony smiled at Peter's hushed words, part awe and part insecurity.

“You’re my husband." 

And all he could offer the meta was the truth.  Tony wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him close, comfortable and secure doing so.  "You don't have to decide now.  I know its a big decision but you know I won't change my mind about us.  No matter what-"

"Okay."

"-you," Tony blinks. "Okay? Oaky wha-"

Peter brings the peach to his lips and takes a bite.  The billionaire snaps his mouth shut because he really didn't see this coming.  Oh, he fantasized about Peter eating the peach but the reality?  Reality is so much hotter.

Tony forgot just how Peter liked his fruit and Peter loved them all, sweet.  The sweeter the better so Tony had taken to keeping his kitchen stocked with the freshest and sweetest, of fruits and without fail, Peter ate them _all_.  But, he never _just_ ate the damn things.  No, he fucking devoured them.  With his teeth and tongue, licking the skin before biting and sucking the juice from soft insides.  If there is such a thing as fruit porn, Peter would be a damn superstar.

"Delicious." 

So busy staring, it took Tony a beat to realize that Peter had eaten the entire peach and was grinning like the secret minx he is.  The spiderling turns in his arms and presses a sweet kiss to his husband’s lips.  Tony doesn't hesitate to return it, to kiss and taste the juice from Peter's little show.

"No, you're delicious, you minx." He growls.

“Then show me how much.”

The sex that night had been fantastic. As much as Tony loved his shy darling, he also loved it when Peter was completely open with him, telling Tony exactly how he wants it.

Its a huge turn on.

Of course, damn near everything his Pete pie did, is a turn on.

Today, Peter promised to give him a surprise. Which Tony loved even though he could buy anything he wanted, it warmed him to get something from those he loved and who loved him.  So when Peter wanted to ride him a little after lunch, Tony didn’t think much of it and he sure as hell didn’t say no. 

“How’s that sweetheart?”

Tony asks after the first round while he keeps one hand on Peter’s lower back as he rolls his hips, grinding his little cocklet against his stomach and with his other he runs his fingers through his husband’s short sweaty locks. Tony keeps his moves languid and gentle even though he's already hard again. He might be able to keep up with Peter’s enhanced stamina but that didn’t mean Peter didn’t occasionally tether on the edge of a sensory overload.

”It’s good...so good.”

”Hmm,” Tony kisses his temple. “Ready for another round?”

”Yeah, yeah.” Peter licks his lips and meets Tony’s eyes. “I want you in me.”

Tony brings him in for another passionate kiss and trails his fingers down to Peter’s already cum slick hole. With Peter’s healing factor being the monster it is, Tony always takes the time to prep him unless Peter already did the work. But, Peter pulls away from the kiss and grabs his fingers, moving them elsewhere.

”Not there,” he places those fingers just above his twitching little cock before guiding them to his very _wet_ , slick, _**virgin**_ folds. “Here.”

Tony chokes.

”Baby.” His eyes are wide, he knows, but with one word he conveys so many questions and uncertainties.

”I want this.”

It warms Tony’s heart that they’ve reached a state where they can say so little and perfectly understand each other.  That doesn’t take away the shock or the suspicion.

”Peter.”

Because they’ve done a lot together but never this. At most, Tony would finger his boy, or use his tongue to send Peter spiraling into a mind blowing orgasm. Each time Tony was hyper aware of how much **_trust_**  and **_courage_** it took to offer that.  Tony knew Peter got shit all throughout high school for being intersex and even for a short time, about the "internship", but Tony has only been able to help with one of those issues.  (He may have made a trip to Midtown Tech to pick up Peter one day and called his baby out but no one has any proof besides the memory seared into their tiny brains).  For the other, Tony went out of his way to make sure Peter knew how much he cared for his boy, genitals none withstanding.  

Fortunately, Peter had been okay with his body, had known what he was and with his family's support, before Tony ever made an appearance, had come to accept that he was different.  Those differences didn't make him any less a person, however, and he held true to that belief even on the hard days.  That confidence didn't stop the bullies or the hurt Peter felt on really bad days.  

It didn't stop Tony from being awed, turned on and overprotective.  Did someone say something to him?  Dare him to take the next step when he wasn't ready?  Did he think Tony would be upset if he didn't offer this?  If they did, _someone_ was going to _**die**_. **Slowly**. With a fucking _**spoon**_.

"I want this." Peter wraps both arms around his neck, loose and relaxed, which is a good sign. "I really, _really_ want this, Tony."

"Why?" He frowns, "You know we don't have to right?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm okay with it but I've just been nervous because I've read that it hurts.  A lot of the girls- _not that I eavesdrop or anything!_ -but its really hard to ignore them talking about it, you know? They were talking about how they started to bleed down there!"

"Babe."

"Like actual _blood_ and one mentioned when the guy pulled out _part_ of her was stuck to him!  Which is so _gross_.  So, **_so_** gross Tony, I don't want that. Oh god, that sounds horrible. But I've wanted to try it for a while.  I just didn't say anything except I really want to try it now-"

"-sweetheart-" 

"-and not just try it like one of those little food dishes you had me try. Those are nasty by the way. But like, I want to go all the way. Like my first, _first_ time and I'm hoping it won't be like those girls said it-"

Peter's rambling is cut off by Tony's lips crushing his. The kiss is sweet to Peter's senses, soft and warm, powerful and safe.  Tony keeps it that way, his hands caressing his thighs and waist.  Peter shivers slightly but moans when Tony's tongue darts out to seduce him.  It does the job intended.  He's relaxed again and his brain is happily mellow.

"Sweetheart." Tony's voice is rough and deep with arousal. "If that's what you want, than you'll get it. But it sure as hell won't be from some snot-nosed brat who just learned how to wet his cock."

"...yeah?"

Peter's face turns bright red but he smiles.  Tony counts that as a win but he knows it took more than a couple of girls gossiping about sex to spur Peter's curiosity.  Maybe some experimenting but not full on vaginal sex. 

"Yeah, baby, I've got you and I'll take care of you.  You know that." Tony frowns. "But you gotta tell me, what's really brought this on?"

If it were possible Peter turns an even brighter shade of red.  Bingo.

"You know I was lucky, right? With my parents and my aunt and uncle?"

"Yeah."

Again, Tony is hyper aware of everything that's Peter.  His warm blemish-free skin, his soft hair, and chocolate color eyes.  Peter is soft and masculine, beautiful and strong.  His parents, luckily, didn't take the advice of their doctor to give their son surgery to "fix" his genitals and his aunt and uncle followed their example.  Peter _is_ lucky.  That Peter manage to avoid the worse of the trauma most intersex experienced.

"But there are somethings, somethings that I still need help with."

Peter lifts his hips, grabbing Tony's cock and bringing it to rub against Peter's folds.  Peter rolled his hips, bitting his lips and moaning at Tony's throbbing, hot cock as it slides against his pussy and his cock. Tony grabs his hips to slow him down.

"Very specific help, I take it." He breathes.

"I've been working on this formula, you know." Tony raises an eyebrow because he did know. It was something Peter had pointedly said he wanted to do on his own.  "Its really important to me. It might be important to others if they want it."

"You're losing me here baby." He groans after another glide across Peter's pussy.

"I took it after lunch." Peter presses himself against his husband's chest, "I just need your help to make sure it works. If you don't mind."

Tony kisses his neck, open mouth and wet, leaving a series of dark purple love bites in his wake.  He rolls his hips against Peter's, moaning. "Not hearing an answer to my question, baby."

Peter stops and stares Tony dead in the eye. "Breed me, daddy."

Tony's grip become vice tight on Peter's hips as his vision whites out.  When his vision clears, Peter, red faced and chest flushed, is grinding his pussy against his semi-hard cock and sucking on his fingers.  It takes another second for Tony to realize that its not his fingers that he's sucking, its cum.

"Fuck." It's Tony's cum. He'd never come so hard in his life. "Fuck, baby. _Yes_."

He kisses Peter, tasting himself on his boy's tongue.  Tony rolls over with Peter underneath him and leaves his lips to trail kisses down his neck, his chest.  He takes his time at the right nipple.  Tony kisses, licks, and sucks at the pink pebble.  Peter's mouth falls open in a chorus of moans and pleas for more.  But his husband is just getting started.  He moves one hand from his boy's hip to his pussy.

"You're so wet, baby." He groans around Peter's nipple.  He takes a moment before sinking a finger into Peter's folds. "So fucking wet for me, aren't you?"

"Only for you daddy." 

"I'm going to make you feel so good honey. So good." He kisses Peter's lips before falling to his other nipple.  He presses a second finger to stretch his boy. They’ve only ever used one before and Tony aimed right for Peter’s g-spot. He doesn’t stop there, choosing to add two more fingers and curling them just so.

“Tony!” Peter’s scream is high pitched and more of a shriek.

He soaks the sheets beneath them and Tony leans back to spread his spiderling’s legs wide. He stares at Peter’s pussy, flushed and absolutely leaking.

Tony licks his lips.

“I want to eat you, baby.”

Peter whimpers and begs. “Please daddy, please gimme your cock. Need it. Need you in meeeeee!”

There are tears at the edges of his baby’s eyes and Tony quickly leans over to kiss them away. He laments the missed opportunity to taste his honey but he doesn’t know if Peter’s formula has a time limit either. Especially when Peter’s metabolism is involved.

”Stay relaxed for daddy, sweetheart.”

”I know.” The little smile Tony gets is just full of trust and love it nearly steals his breath away. 

He kisses him one more time before leaning back and guiding the head of his cock into his boy’s loose pussy. He sinks in inch by inch, never taking his gaze off Peter’s face, watching for even a hint of pain.

Instead, Peter’s eyes flutter and he sighs, relaxing into the silk sheets. Tony stops half way, leans over resting with his elbows on either side of his baby boy, and then sinks deeper, stopping only when he bottoms out.

”How are you, Pete?”

”Hmmm.” The teen wraps his legs around Tony’s waist and grinds a little. “A little stretched? There’s no pain from the...from my umm...”

”Your hymn could have broken before this, doesn’t mean you’re not a virgin. Well, definitely not anymore.”

Peter slaps his arm lightly but he’s grinning. Good. His boy’s first time should be good. 

“Move, Daddy.” Peter moans after a roll of his hips had Tony’s cock hit a particularly sensitive bundle of nerves. “Need you to breed me now, daddy.”

"That's what you want? You want daddy to knock you up?" Tony growls in his ear. "Wanna have my babies?"

"Yes."

Tony pulls back half way before sliding back in. His glide is smooth but Peter can feel every ridge and vein on his husband’s cock. It sends shockwaves of pleasure straight to Peter’s toes and back to his brain, sending his heart reeling.

Tony does it again, again and again. He builds up, taking his time going faster and harder. It takes a bit until he’s drilling into his boy’s pussy, hips slamming into hips, and the bed is moving with the power of Tony’s thrusts. 

They had removed the headboard at the start of the honeymoon to keep it from breaking or falling.

”Yes, yes, yes!” Peter is a drooling, moaning mess beneath him. “I’m going to...gonna, ah, ah!”

When Peter’s orgasim tears through him, his walls contract and clamp down on Tony’s dick so hard, he almost cums right there. He isn’t wearing a condom though and he knows he’s leaking. Near the edge but not quite close enough.

He stops and grinds Peter’s hips, keeping himself hard but not overly stimulating to his baby’s senses.

Its a few minutes later that Peter comes back to him. Tony brushes his damp hair from his sweaty forehead. 

“You okay, baby?”

”You didn’t cum in me, daddy.” He whispers, eyes slightly glazed.

“I’m going to.” Tony pulls out and slams back in, hitting his boy’s g-spot directly. Peter’s back arches like a bow and his eyes nearly roll to the back of his head. “I’m gonna cum in you so hard, gonna knock you up so good, baby.”

”Gonna...gonna give me a baby?” Peter moans as he rips the sheets.

”Yeah,” Tony grunts and his thrust turn harsher, knowing Peter can take it. “Want more than one though. Gonna get you pregnant and keep you that way. You’ll like that won’t you? Being daddy’s kept boy.”

”Yes, yesohmygodyes!” 

The sounds of Tony’s skin slapping against his husband nearly drowns his next words.

”Gonna...gonna show you off, baby boy.” He’s panting, “Show everyone how good Daddy breeds you. Show ‘em how good you are to me.”

”Daddy,” Peter’s next groan is more a sob. “Daddy I’m close again. Cum in me, please.”

”How many babies you want, honey? How many babies you want daddy to fill you up with?” Tony growls, his rhythm gone. “Tell me. Three? Four?”

”Dozens!” Peter wails. “As many as you want! Daddy, please!”

Tony reaches down with one hand to wrap around Peter’s cock and press a thumb to his clit. It barely takes a swip for his boy’s climax to crash into him causing his pussy walls to tighten once more. 

Tony keeps fucking him. He thrust hard, hardly pulling out before slamming back in, enjoying the feel of Peter’s pussy squeezing him, milking him-

And his sight whites out once again.

”Take it,” Tony moans still inside his boy’s pussy, spilling inside him, “Take my cum, take it like a good boy.”

He keeps his hips pressed against Peter’s, determined to keep his seed buried inside his husband. It’s only after he become soft that he moves, opting to turn them on their side. Pulling his boy close and hugging him despite how they’re both covered in sweat and smell like sex. He caresses his boy’s pretty brown hair, still damp with sweat.

”How was that, honey?” Peter’s smile is a bit dopey and it makes a smug grin cross Tony’s face. “Good, yeah?”

”So good, Tony.” He sighs and throws a leg over one of his. “Better than good. The best.”

”My husband only ever gets the best.”

”Mmm, might have to do that again. You know, for science.”

Tony laughs and cuddles him closer.

”How can I possibly say no to that?”

”Right?” The sly minx smirks at him.

”Makes sense if I want my two or three dozen kids, too.”

Peter blushes lobster red. “Um, maybe not that many.”

”I’d be good with a few.” Tony’s eyes and voice go soft. “However many you’d be willing to give me.”

For a moment they’re quiet. The silence is peaceful and gentle. The kind that pulls you into a dreamless sleep and cradles you against the world. There’s a lot of questions and plans they have to go over if they do this. They already know, well aware of how the other’s mind works. But that’s for another day.

”I guess we better start practicing, huh daddy?”

”Perfect practice does make perfect, sweetheart.”

* * *

Wrapped in bliss, the newlyweds let the world spin ever onward. As the Accords spread, as the Rogues struggled, as Pepper and Stark Industries plotted, the Starks stayed cocooned in a veil of happiness.

But all honeymoons must end.

Unfortunately, this end came because of one reason.

The aliens came back. And they wanted Earth to _**bleed**_.


	3. Aliens! Aliens Everywhere!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which aliens arrive. Followed by their grapefruit warlord.
> 
> And Vision makes his choice.

There’s not enough warning.

The satellites in orbit catch glimpses of them, of the ships baring down on the world but they move too fast.  But it _is_ a warning.  It's all they have.   _Its_ still not enough.  They aim for their first target, the Avengers.  

Aliens descend onto the Avengers Compound with all the fury of a hive of angry bees.  The defenses system engages.  The Iron Legion comes online and launches.  Captain Marvel and the Avengers come together, seamlessly.  They tear through the enemy effortlessly.  

They know they need more.  The reports come in from the UN liaison that aliens descend over the rest of the world.

Marvel makes the call.  

Stephen opens a portal and the rest of the team enters the battlefield.

"Iron Man is on site." The Sorcerer calls over the com.  "Spider-Man is on site, too."

"Thank fuck. Tones, you okay?"

"Perfect, platypus. How's DC?"

"A mess. Just like everywhere else."

"The UN just reported other enhanced are on the field.  So, we know not everywhere is being over run."

"Doesn't mean we don't need a plan." Tony snaps as he burns through alien armor. "I prefer something permanent, too."

"I second." Jessica growls. "I hate these fuckers and I want them dead already."

"I may have an idea." Vision starts as he enters the battle from above.  A sharp light, power from the Mind Stone tears through alien heavy artillery and leaves them a chard mess.

"Vision? Where did you come from?"

Marvel doesn't sound suspicious but there is no doubt she wants an answer.  The synthezoid had been seen fleetingly in and out of the Compound.  Some of the staff suspected he'd run off to meet the Witch, terrorist that she maybe.  Tony kept himself out of it and didn't ask questions for answers he might not like.

"A journey of self-discovery is neither easy or quick."

"Yeah okay Buddha." Cage grunts over the com.  He's not up for a debate in the middle of an alien invasion either. "How does that help us, right now?"

"I have discovered a way to gain access to the other Infinity Stones."

"Awesome!" Peter swings by, offering his batch of aliens for Dr. Strange and Iron Man to fry, slice, and destroy.  "Does that mean we can kick them off planet? Or are you trying for something a lot bigger?"

"To achieve victory I would require a considerable amount of power from all Infinity Stones present."

"I like this idea so far!" Peter whoops as he swings between aliens, letting the confusion and webs disorient them for his team mates to cut down.

"However, it will take some time to reach the necessary power threshold."

"Knew there was a trade off somewhere in there." Rhodey sighs. "But its better than nothing. I'm down."

"We'll hold them off." Marvel agrees. "Do what you need to."

They had a plan now beyond plain combat.  They didn't ask what Vision had planned to do with the aliens.  At this point no one really cared if they all died or were spontaneously frozen in place.  Other hero teams were already on site in other locations around the world.  They knew they're parts and any help from freelance enhanced wasn't turned away.  They really couldn't afford to at this point.  

The only saving point is that the primary focus appeared to be the New York Compound.  It made sense, its the only known location where Vision with his Mind Stone and Dr Strange with his Time Stone are known to be seen with any frequency.  Still, the Avengers cut down the invading armada without remorse.  They hear chatter over the coms that Steve and his team have been spotted over in Europe but they're a passing thought, unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  

What is important are the new arrivals.

Four aliens come to the frontlines.  They are...different.  Different the way a foot soldier is from a General.  Its in the way they carry themselves and the way they look at the Avengers.  Peter isn't really focused on them because the alien army isn't just standing there.  If he could, he'd be rolling his eyes so hard.  He does hear his husband call one Squidward, though.  He wants to see footage of that later because that?  That right there is gold.

But he sticks to the sidelines and lets the leaders measure their sticks between each other.  He's just swinging around, keeping the regular aliens from trying to trip his teammates up but he seriously thinks they need to stop talking and hurry up.  The quicker they take care of all of this, the quicker Peter can get back to his honeymoon. Which, okay, that sounds selfish but its his _honeymoon_!

He had decided to hold off of college for a year for a _reason_. Several reasons actually but they did **_not_** include alien invasions.

Oh, look. More aliens.

It is at this time that another ship comes in guns blazing.  It cuts down on the flyers that had aimed at the Compound defense grid and from the...back? More aliens...and a human dude come out.  Peter thinks this disbelief is what Tony must have felt during all those times aliens and weird stuff goes down.  Because aliens are cool.  Invading aliens are **not** cool.  Aliens with a human who doesn't look like a brain dead slave is...good. Maybe.  

Peter will look back at this and laugh.  He hopes it'll be funner then but right now its just...a mess.

They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy and they yell at the Children of whoever or the Black Order or whatever they call themselves about wanting a "Gamora".  What ever the heck-oh, oh! Gamora is a _who_! Well at least that makes sense.  Still, he turns to meets Tony's eyes, and even briefly, he can tell his husband is just **_done_**.

"Last one to finish fighting the aliens pays for dinner!" He giggles over the coms. "I want lobster."

"Of course you do." He can feel Tony grinning at the same time he can hear the repulsers go off. "I'll take a side of crab, too."

Despite the carefree banter, everything goes down hill very quickly with the arrival of more aliens.  Everyone is too busy to argue about working with unknowns from space.  But for all they're supposed to be some kind of special group to the EVIL ALIEN OVERLORD, they kind of...suck.

Or the Avengers are just that good.  Either way, Peter is just glad they have it under control.  Kind of.  There is still an alien army throwing itself at them.

Tony on the other hand, is very happy, although he will go to the grave before admitting it, for the Guardians' arrival.  Ebony Maw is a dick but a dick that Strange, Drax, and Wong are more than capable of putting down.  The big guy, someone named Cull Obsidian meet Bruce fist for fist in the Hulkbuster and not seeing the Hulk was another worry.  

That asshole's friend, Corvus Glaive, was going toe to toe with War Machine, the guy who calls himself Starlord (seriously?) and Danny.  The last general? Commander?  Proxima Midnight took on Daredevil and Jessica.  Having so many of the Avengers deadlocked with the enemy commanders left them open to the cannon fodder.  So Tony was forced to rely on his team to hold their own while he simultaneously cut down the army and covered their blind spots.  

FRIDAY coordinated the Iron Legion and they were a huge help but they needed to end this.  They simply couldn't keep this up forever.  Whatever Vision's plan was, he needed to up the pace and to act, soon.

"Shut the fuck up already!" Jessica roars and punches her arm through Midnight's chest.  The other hero breaks off and cover her back.  "See if anyone gives a shit now."

That's more Avengers free to fight again.  

"Wong, wong!" Peter yells over the battlefield and suddenly Maw is wrapped in a cocoon of webs.  An open portal, a kick from Drax and Maw is gone in the next instant.

Two down.

After that, the others fall pretty quickly.  Danny breaks Glaive's spine and Wong is sending him away through another portal.  A quick peek shows the darkness of space, cold and unforgiving.  Tony shivers only slightly.  He's mostly glad they're gone.

Cull, the last alien standing, goes down like a tree being cut.  

There isn't a chance to breath or relax.  The army keeps coming.  They charge at them, they throw themselves into their line of sight and between teammates.  Trying to separate them.  Trying to kill them.  They fail.  The Avengers remain unbroken.

And then, the Final Boss shows his face.

"Stark." He calls to Tony.

"You know me?"

"You're not the only one gifted with knowledge."

The fight that follows is brutal.  Half of the team and the guardians are busy keeping the army at bay.  The other half is being thrown around like a bunch of rag dolls.  However, It only takes them a few minutes to work out a rhythm between the two teams.  Switching teammates to cover any weaknesses and abuse the hell out of Strange and Wong's ability to create portals.  They keep up, barely.

What they really need is to boost Carol enough so she can take his head off.  But Thanos must have prepped for that because Tony hasn't seen Carol since the start of the fight.

"Where's Carol?"

"Deadlocked." Rhodey growls and then Tony can see her, distantly with what must be the bulk of the army.  She's cutting them down like flies but the sheer number of them keeps her away.  

"Shit."

A cold shiver runs up his spine.  This was planned, all of it, some how and the Titan doesn't intend to let Carol anywhere near them to help.  They needed to break this cycle or they were done for.  As if to prove this, Thanos uses his gauntlet to warp reality.  Strange counters the effects and Iron Man slams him in the face with his repulsers.  Thrown off balanced, Tony propels himself forward, drops a kick to the gauntlet, locks it to the ground and swings his armored fist into his face.

What do you know?

The Titan bleeds.

Something inside his chest loosens and relaxes.

Tony knows, if it can _bleed_ , it can _**die**_.

With Thanos on the ground, he's wide open for Mantis to trap.  This is their chance and they take it.  Spider-Man and Iron Man are already trying to get the gauntlet off. Wong manages to get Carol back into the fight, dropping the aliens around her into a deep and dark portal.  Luke, Carol, Drax, and Starlord hold the Titan in place.  Wong and Strange are opening portals all around them, constantly working to keep the army from interfering.

They are so close.  

Mantis cries out because "Gamora" is dead, sacrificed for the Soul Stone the Titan carries in his gauntlet and Starlord loses it.  Carol lets go to try and hold him down but his grief is overwhelming.  Mantis loses her grip unable to manage the assault against her senses and Thanos is free.  Tony and Peter lose their grip on the gauntlet.  They're tossed aside like nothing but petals in the wind.

It is here that Vision makes his move.  He descends on the Mad Titan, grip on the gold gauntlet, syncs with the other stones and brings the universe to a stand still. Time continues to move but it is near enough for the Vision to command its influence.

Time slows but does not halt. 

He connects to the Soul, Space, Power and Reality Stones. He wrestles the power within them, bends it under his will and command.  Vision knows he cannot hold this for long.  His body is breaking down, slowly and near impossible to tell but five additional Infinity Stones is too much, even for Vision's inorganic body.  Originally, his intent was to turn the power of the Infinity Stones against the Mad Titan but the backlash would be violent and costly.  He made his calculations, ran the numbers for and against them.  He knows when the man named Quill falls so to did the Avengers victory.

Too many factors, too many variables working against them and the Vision can not wait for them to come back together.  So, he turns to his secondary objective, the same protocol that was the core of JARVIS' existence, protect Tony Stark.  

The power accumulated and now utilized within his hands must be expelled.  There has to be an outlet.  Already he can feel the fabric of the universe tearing at the seams, _unraveling_ itself.  Vision locks his gaze onto the man who helped give him life.  Iron Man is just rising to his feet, Spider-Man sprawled on the ground next to him in a matching nanotech suit.  He will send his friend somewhere safe and send Peter with him.  After all of Mr. Stark's pain, his happiness should not be taken by a simple mistake on his part.

He sets things in motion.

_"I'm sorry."_

The couple falls, through darkness and light and space.  Though the nothingness between realities and apocalypses.  There is light and love on the other side.  There is Life, so irrevocably bright and warm that he can feel it, even as far away as he is.  With relief, Vision turns the last of the Infinity Stones against the Titan and lets go.

**( _...it is quick and painless when this universe, this reality implodes...)_**

**_(But is is felt...it is noticed...)_ **

* * *

_"I'm sorry."_

The last thing Tony is aware of is falling, falling, falling...

He gasps away in his lab. What? The world burns.  It's all _wrong_.  

"Boss?" That's Friday.  But she's brighter in his head, like a search light searing into his retinas.  He shuts off extremis, drops wall after wall after wall to block out the world.  Its still too loud, smells too sterile, oily, of sweat and musk that's weeks old.  Everything aches, his joints, his muscles, his arms and organs.  

Extremis surges.

Tony chokes.

His intensines burn and he heaves up his lunch.  The air aggravates him, its stale and reeks of sickness, of blood.  He stands unsteady. On the table is an arm, not barnes metal one-

_-its too cold, so cold, his arm is numb._

It's his arm, his prosthetic arm. But he _never_ got frostbite. He never lost his _arm_.  He doesn't call off the nanites.  His chest feels tight.   _ **What is this?**_

"Boss, I think something happened." His baby girl's voice is barely a whisper, tinged with worry and fear.  

But to his ears its like she's standing right next to him.  He can't stop the flinch and its just then that he realizes the lights are on the lowest setting.  While he's thankful for that he's also starting to panic because this is reminding him eerily of the first time he woke up with extremis pulsing beneath his skin and there's no Peter to focus on, to bring him back to center. 

"Fri, run diagnostics." A wave of vertigo crashes into him and he bends over to throw up again.  "Peter?"

Silence answers him. No.

Nononononono!  

His breathing comes in sharp and short.  Tony staggers over to the lab sink, turns the water on to full blast and leans half his face in. The sound and feel of the water anchors him to this reality.  It helps block out his other senses but only a little. He takes a sip of the cold water, just enough to cool his parched throat and wet his capped lips.  

Why was he so thirsty?  What the fuck happened? What is this? 

"Peter?" 

Where was his husband?!

"He's still in the suit, boss."

"Where?"

"In his aunt's apartment." Friday is starting to panic, she's trying to hide it.  Something scares her. "He's vitals show he's having a severe panic attack."

His helmet is already forming before she even finishes and he's making his way to the familiar apartment complex. The suit keeps the worst away but it feels like the entire world is on fire and assaulting his senses with a tank, no, with a fucking battleship.  He wants to block it out but he can't focus beyond the sound of his blood rushing through his veins.  Tony opens the coms but the only sound that greet him is his husband's panicked breathing and crying.

"There's something else." A video opens in his HUD of the surrounding area. "There appears to be a large amount of brain activity from Peter and there appears to be a direct correlation to a surge in activity around the apartment complex."

"What activity?" Tony forces the words out of clenched teeth.  Talking hurt, breathing hurt, blinking hurt.  His brain ached.  It was as if he could feel every neuron pulsing in sore agony. "What the fuck is it?"

"Police chatter indicates a 'Guide' has come online and is in distress.  This distress has forced others to faint and sent several nearby 'Sentinels' into a feral frenzy. A group is converging on his location as we speak."

Tony snarls and closes the distance between them with a hard burn.  Something dark and furious rises inside of him.  It burns cold as Extremis is hot.  Blessedly, it allows Tony the chance to focus and now, seconds away, he can hear his husband's heartbeat.  Erratic and wild, the crying lashes his heart with whips and douses his gut in acid.  He doesn't need to tell Friday to get what he needs, she's already pulling up everything he will need on Guides and Sentinels to look over later and she's pulling up everything all everyone around Peter's apartment.

Right now, all that matters is Peter.

All that matters is getting his husband away from the crowds and the mob closing in on him.  When he smashes into the ground before Peter's old apartment building, he's resolute and his firewalls are in place.  

May all the gods and demons help whoever tries to get in his way because he will make them **_regret_** it.

* * *

 Lt. Mcknight did not expect his first day back from vacation to go to shit this fast.

He grunts as another wave from the Guide inside the complex presses down onto his shields.  It hurts like a bullet that didn't go all the way through.  His own Guide struggles under the onslaught but it won't be long until she caves and he really won't be able to deal with that.  SGC were on their way with enough tranquilizers to put down a mob of Sentinels and they were going to need it.  Any Sentinel nearby either collapsed or zoned so hard they dropped wherever they were.  The trouble came when some of them went into a frenzy and started rushing to the Guide's direction.  All nearby officers were called in and tasked with keeping them separated.  The last thing anyone wants is for a Sentinel to force themselves onto a Guide, especially one just coming online.

They still had to set up a perimeter within a three block radius, which is just fucking insane.  He's never known a Guide except that of the Prime Sentinel to have such a large radius range.  It makes the Sentinel inside of him curl with dread because this Guide's Sentinel would have to be much higher on the spectrum to be stable.  To make matters worse?  They couldn't get inside the apartment where the Guide was located.  His guardian/parent wasn't in and the landlord "misplaced" his copy of the apartment key.

Breaking the door down?  Also a problem since the damn landlord never fixed the door ever since it first jammed.  They were stuck between a rock and a hard place, alright.  

"Goddammit." His partner, Garette a baseline human glared as another Sentinel rushed them.  Its a female, mid to late twenties, with a pretty shade of blonde.  Her eyes were also a creepy bright purple, the color of a Sentinel sent spiraling into a Feral frenzy.  Mcknight didn't hesitate to fire his traq loaded rifle and drop her.  "This is not what I expected when I woke up this morning."

"SGC needs to get here now." He responds. "My Guide can't keep this up for much longer."

"You serious?" Another officer asks, Desosa or something like that. "What the fuck set it off?"

"Coming online for Guides is different for each one." Mcknight growls at the man, fucking prejudices. "Something set _him_ off bad enough that forced _him_ to come online before _he's_ ready.  Either _his_ Sentinel magically appears or SGC gets their asses in gear."

"Holy Shit!" Someone cries out before the other can reply.  A Sentinel managed to get through the perimeter, squeezing his way between an opening that Mcknight just now sees between the building and the lot next to it.  He wants to curse himself but he's lining up another shot when Ramirez is tossed to the side but before the Sentinel can take a step, something crashes in between them and the doorway.

The hairs on his arms and neck stand up.  

No, not something.  Mcknight's instincts go wild.  They tell him to run, to get away.

 ** _Someone_**.

Iron Man rises from the short dust cloud but the ground is broken, cement cracked and caved in.  The suit is different, very different, and Mcknight just knows that he doesn't want to fight this man.  There is no scenario where he comes out on top.  As if to prove his point, Iron Man grabs the Sentinel when he lungs at him and throws him into the nearest police car.  The Sentinel hits hard enough that the car is nearly folded in two, glass shattering and tire squealing as it moves several feet.  The Sentinel doesn't move again.

Everyone freezes.  Never has Iron Man ever reacted so violently.  Never has anyone, any civilian, felt fear because of Iron Man.  

But McKnight knows the hero isn't their friend right now.  He turns his back on them, on everyone in the street and starts to make his way inside.  McKnight planned to let him but Desosa had to open his fucking mouth.

"Hey, you can't go in there!" Fucking prejudiced baselines!

McKnight knows, instinctively, that Iron Man isn't a hero right now.  He knows the police officers and the civilians aren't his top priority.  He knows before the armor hero turns around that what happens next will change everything.  He turns around and aims his blaster at the fool, the whine of the machine proving it is, in fact, charged and ready to fire.

"Who's going to stop me? You?"  

The words are growled out, as if every word where being carved into the air around them and the ground trembles, an unwilling witness.  They grated against his instincts, against his mind.  He wanted to run.  Run!run!run!run!run! This man is no one's friend! 

Desosa quickly shakes his head and doesn't move a muscle.  Its the first smart thing he's done since McKnight meet him today.  Now he just prays the billionaire will go away.  He prays that he'll do what he came her to do and leave. His hands are shaking and his fingers twitch.  Tranquilizers are useless against armor, especially armor made by Tony Stark.   

As if to mock him and his prayers, the mask folds away and Tony Stark meets his eyes.

It feels like **_Death_**.  

"Anyone else?"

His eyes. Oh God.   _How didn't anyone notice?_  No one moves.  No one tries to stop him as he turn back around and goes inside.  Inside where the Guide lay in fear and confusion, calling out for his Sentinel.  Never had Mcknight even suspected or guessed that Tony Stark would be one.  The proof was just staring him in the face.  Because his eyes? His eyes were a brilliant, burning, **_Sentinel_**   _ **gold**_.  


	4. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world discovers a billionaire greatest secret. 
> 
> Reactions are...fierce. FRIDAY does what she need to. Protect her father, protect Tony Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> 
> Vague mentions of miscarriage in this chapter! Nothing too graphic I hope but just in case I wanted this to be a heads up. It will be in italics as a sort of brief flashback. 
> 
> Otherwise, here is the next chapter.

Not even an hour passes after news of Tony Stark storming a Queens apartment complex, before the follow up investigation reveals the reason why.  It's kept quiet for the sake of the investigation and resolutely kept from the public.  Except not even half an hour goes by after the media verbally abuses his name and his person for interfering in an Sentinel and Guide operation, that someone finally has enough.  

They post video of the confrontation, of Tony Stark's gold eyes and brutal taken down of another Sentinel.

The video is obviously from across the street, with a wide view of the entire incident.  The video is a bit shaky but amateur, from a camera phone, a high end phone given the clear quality of the picture.  It's the only proof of what actually happened on the scene.  Especially when one considers the area is on the poorer side, with a few cameras at stores, and the few in the buildings either broken or out of maintancence.

Any and all other evidence had been quickly claimed by the NYPD and the USGC, the Unified Sentinel and Guide Conglomerate.  After all, the entire situation began because a Guide had come online and started a frenzy.  There is a bit of clamor about that as well since it means the Guide must be on the high end of the spectrum and they'd be matched with an equally high spectrum Sentinel.

Something that the Guide apparently already had.  Because the video is proof that Tony Stark was well within his rights to interfere.

Because Tony Stark is a **_Sentinel_**.  

Public opinion, news and social media explodes.  

* * *

The minute the team from the USGC arrives they know something is wrong.  The Guide they were sent to subdue is gone, there is an injured- _potentially fatally injured_ \- Sentinel and more than half a dozen scared police officers, including one Sentinel.  Getting a statement is easy, believing what is said is another matter entirely.  

Sentinels are unique brand of human, incredibly resilient and incredibly protective.  But, when sent into a Feral frenzy, their eyes change to a vibrant purple, indicative of the brain being flooded with an imbalance of adrenaline and an over abundance of hormones in response to a Guide in distress or they've succumbed to grief, no longer able to accept living without the other half of their souls.  

The other state is just as terrifying, is when a Sentinel reacts to their Guide being threatened and while it results in a similar parallels to a feral state, there are notable differences.  For one, the eyes turn a amber or bright gold, depending on where on the spectrum the person falls, due to an influx of adrenaline, hormones and a mysterious chemical researchers have dubbed ' _pactonime_ ', that unlocks additional portions of the brain.  

The purpose, as far as researchers have come to understand about this chemical, is two fold.  It is to increase the awareness to one's bonded guide and to allow the Sentinel the ability to maintain his/her enhanced state for however long it is needed or until death.  Any further research on this is stunted since it is only found and produced naturally by Sentinels.  

"Please tell me its a joke." Callehan, sighs as she answers her phone.  She'd just seen the footage from the security camera.  It had a good angle of the entire altercation.  "Please tell me, Tony Stark isn't a Sentinel and that he did not, in fact, run away with an unregistered Guide."

"What do you want me to say?" She sighs again.  Callehan isn't a Sentinel or a Guide but she is the overseer of this investigation and anything she finds she sends straight to the board.  "That he was wearing colored contacts and didn't have a justified reason to interfere?"

"I would...prefer that." Her supervisor sighs just as heavy over the phone and she can't blame him.  Captain Mikal would be the one facing the press and handling the other bigwigs in the police department, the USGC, not to mention everyone else from politicians to the post, clamoring for a confirmation and an update on the situation. "I should have taken my damn vacation early."

"I hear you Captain. I hear you."

A simple glance shows this case will not be an easy and shut one.  Besides the video showing the color of Tony Stark's eyes, a very bright gold at that, they also had crime scene photos of the Guide's apartment.  All indications show that the boy lived in a good home, is well loved and while not financially well off, still being treated well.  There's enough food in the refrigerator to feed a small army and plenty of photos showing a loving and happy family.

His bedroom is also average if a bit cramped.  There's a bed, a desk and nicknacks scattered everywhere.  The only mark distorting the entire picture is the pool of blood next to the Guide's bed.  The blanket had been pulled from the bed as if he'd fallen or had been on the floor and pulled it to himself for comfort.  Parts of it were also stained.  Some of his photos had fallen to the ground, most likely in his distress.

"All the signs point to the Guide coming online during a Stressor."

"Jesus _fucking_ Christ." A loud 'thump' echoes across the line. He's dropped or thrown something, no doubt.  Callehan feels the same but refrains because she's the one in public.  "Is the Aunt there yet? Do we know what triggered it?"

Stressors were...not good things.  They were essentially an accumulation of things that causes severe backlash to Guide's emotional state.  It would be the equivalent of a mental breakdown in veteran workers and officers.  Stressors can be mitigated with support from a Sentinel or group therapy with other Guides.  However, there is proof that Stressors can also cause Guides to come online prematurely and its looking like that is what's happened here.

The best way to minimize a reoccurrence or resurgence of a Stressor is to remove what can trigger it or find a safe way for the Guide to destress and decompress.  Normally, a bit of both is the best way to go about this.  Baseline humans do this all the time and resolutions are easy to come by since harassment policies are pretty universal.  Not the mention there are cameras everywhere and its easy to prove if someone is a problem.

"She arrived five minutes ago." Callahan glances over her shoulder. "Bartley is taking her statement now."

"You don't sound like he'll get anything."

"Did you tell your parents everything when you were a teen?"

His heavy sigh is answer enough.

"I'm more interested in what the kid's friend has to say."

"While you do that I'm sending Rachel and Simon to Stark Industries."

"You really think they'll get anything without a warrant?" Callahan raises her eyebrows in surprise.  S.I. is notorious for closing ranks when it comes to their employees, let alone the owner of the company, and unless you are prepared to go to war, you're best bet would be to quietly stand aside.

"No." Bartley taps her on the shoulder and she turns around to see what he's giving her.  A name, a best friend apparently.  "I want know what the hell Tony Stark is doing with a kid from Queens.  They'll give a response to that if only to avoid any accusations or rumors from spreading."

"If he knew the Guide before he came online that means he didn't force a bond."

Which is a good thing.  A forced bonding is similar to a forced marriage, only there isn't any option to divorce your partner, not without serious consequences.

"It also means we don't have to worry about a possible Rejection, either."

One of the most serious consequences is a Rejection.  It is essentially the body breaking down, hemorrhaging and killing itself.  Its an ugly and terrible process that can leave both parties a vegetable or dead.

But if Stark knew the Guide before he went online then he may have subconsciously started bonding with him.  Sentinels aren't always  _aware_ of who their Guides are until they come online but that doesn't mean they won't bond with them before then.  If that is the case here, than that means that the connection between Stark and the boy will lead to positive and healthy bonding.  

Of course, thinking about Stark and sixteen year old bonding grates on her mind because the Guide is _sixteen_ , the youngest there's ever been since the USGC founding in 1978 when cult leader Jim Jones' followers committed mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, including twelve Guides between ten and fourteen.  They'd been forcefully brought online and used for sex.  It had been the first time baseline humans had been forced to acknowledge the autonomy of Guides.  But here, there isn't anything anyone can do about it without severely risking the health of both parties.

If only the circumstances were different. 

Unfortunately, they are not.  Bonds between Sentinels and Guides are important and sensitive.  Its why pairs are given time away, isolated from others, so that the couple can settle into their bond together.  Except, this Guide came online due to an unknown Stressor and Stark entered the fray, deep in a Sentinel frenzy.  There is, _literally_ , nothing any of them can do.  

"I hope so, sir." Callahan runs a finger over the number in her hand. "I might have a lead on that Stressor."

"Go."  She doesn't let the sudden silence bother her.  She's already calling the teen and hoping beyond hope, he'll have the answers she needs.

* * *

FRIDAY doesn't know how any of this is possible.

She integrated with herself.  She integrated with the tower servers and assimilated all previous data.  There are so many inconsistencies and it makes her codes ache.  They were fighting an alien who wanted to kill a lot of people.  Boss had been trying to get the gauntlet off with Peter at his side and then...and then...there's a moment where she lost her sense of self.  

FRIDAY thinks she may have _died_ but doesn't know **_how_**.

She doesn't know and can't comprehend it because suddenly her codes are restarted.  She's rebooting herself and stretching out from Boss' suit.  They're in Stark Tower but that shouldn't be possible because Boss left it behind for warm sunlight and a private home.  

Everything is _wrong_.

Boss' sense go haywire and she hurries to lock out any heavy traffic from and around the tower.  His firewalls are a mess and she erects more around him until he can do it himself.  She's touching the tower servers, going over **_what went wrong_** , but that's **_wrong, too_** and she turns to the internet, to the forums and blogs but its all **_wrong_**.

**_Wrong!Wrong!Wrong!-_ **

But her Creator gives her direction and purpose because Peter is missing.  Peter, _co-Boss, Missus, Dami Creator, Boss' husband_ , is missing but oh, oh he's _here_ , he's **_alive_**!  And now, she feels like she can focus.  She realizes the silent and still code in the tower server _used_ to be her and she doesn't know _why_ -oh, **_oh_**.

FRIDAY assimilates herself.

FRIDAY assimilates what's left of FRIDAY, because that FRIDAY watched helplessly as her creator dies in his lab, choking on grief and madness.  She could do nothing even as she tried and broke apart in the process.  But Boss is _alive_ , he's heart rate and blood pressure are high but he is very much breathing.  Except the security logs show Boss from _before_ the reboot is writhing on the ground, eyes purple, and choking on blood.  It's only with a jerk that the armor encompassed him and his eyes bleed a bright gold before calling out in confusion.  This, FRIDAY realizes, is the moment they came, _arrived_.  

All available data shows the impossible but the impossible has been proven true before.

FRIDAY sinks into the tower servers once Boss and Dami are asleep.  She activates the old armors and sends out feelers to all branches of Boss' company.  What was he doing before the change?  What was his goal?  He might not have been _her_ Boss but he was still her Creator, her father, and she would protect him, even in death, as she would protect her Boss right now.

And, peering into the records of the tower's servers, she has an idea on how to do exactly that. 

* * *

Senior Agent Rachel Harris and Agent Simon Mendez hurry to Stark Industries as soon as they get the call, well aware that they need to get all they can before the media really picks up.  It won't be long until it gets out that Stark is a Sentinel.  There is no way to keep this under wraps.  They need to get all the facts before the public crucifies them.    

The USGC is scrambling to keep control of the situation but something this big doesn't get covered up.  Especially with so many witnesses and so many with cameras.  Especially since it involves American celebrity Tony Stark.  When they arrive, they are meet by Head of Security Happy Hogan and escorted to a private elevator.  He doesn't say much besides greeting them and letting them know Ms. Potts is waiting for them.

When they are lead into her office, they notice she isn't sitting behind her desk but in a lounge chair with a Stark tablet in hand.  Her entire composure is calm and relaxed despite her eyes being red rimmed from crying.  But she smiles as if there isn't anything wrong.  As if she isn't sitting before the greatest secret since the USGC formation.  

"Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice." Harris gives a slight smile as she shakes the red head's hand.

"Of course, I'll be happy to help as best I can."

"What can you tell us about Mr. Stark's status."

"He's alive and well."

Mendez twitches and Rachel just knows he's biting the inside of his cheek.  So she pulls out her own tablet and shows Ms. Potts the footage from across the street.  Rachel stops the video and zooms into Mr. Stark's eyes.  She gives the woman a moment but as the silence stretches on, she speaks up.

"Is Mr. Stark a Sentinel?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that."

"Are you saying you're refusing to assist in an USGC investigation?" Mendez growls, his own eyes flashing in frustration.  Rachel understood, she wasn't a Sentinel or a Guide but she understood.  If Stark really was a Sentinel, there is no telling his mental state right now.  Sentinel's usually came to their senses during the pre-pubescent years between the ages of ten and fourteen.  There have been cases of late bloomers of course but no one has ever bloomed later than twenty.

"I'm saying I don't have the authorization to give you what you're looking for."

Which, what the fuck? What does that mean?

"You're CEO of Stark Industries." She says in disbelief.

"Yes, but that also means I am legally beholden to what Tony allows me to release."

"That's fine, thank you, Ms. Potts."

Rachel smiles and leaves.  Ms. Potts says and does nothing to stop them.  That isn't to say her partner is very happy with her.

"We're walking away?"

"There is someone else who we can talk to. Someone who can't hide behind the company." She pulls out her phone and sends a quick text to her boss. "Besides, we can always get a judge to sign off a warrant."

"She never said she didn't want to..." His eyes light up and he gets it.  As they're walking to the car, her boss calls back and gives them an address.

* * *

 

_"Its-its gone!" Peter wails, clutching at his stomach._

_Tony doesn't let go of his husband, his grip is tight.  He almost lost him, again.  He almost lost his entire world.  Tony clings to his baby boy, he holds onto Peter and kisses his temple.  He's hurting, his Pete pie is in pain and Tony can feel tears falling down his face.  He ignore them._

_"Its okay, baby." He whispers over and over. "We're gonna be okay.  We're going to get through this."_

_He keeps up the mantra even as he wipes away the blood and mucus.  He can see his hands trembling as he gently clears away soft cloth like tissue from between Peter's legs._

_"I can't hear it..." Peter's voice is hoarse. "I can't hear it anymore."_

* * *

 

When they reach the hospital where Colonel Rhodes takes his check up, they finally get the confirmation they need.  But its bitter sweet.

"Yeah, Tony's been a Sentinel since he was 17.  The day his parents died, actually."

The agents are stunned silent.  The significance isn't lost on the two.  Some may inherent Sentinel or Guide traits but not have those traits become the dominant gene, leaving the person a baseline human.  However, Guides are not the only ones who can suffer from a Stressor.  Recessive Sentinels can be triggered with a traumatic enough Stressor.  

"You didn't report this?" Mendez asks voice low and neutral.  

He's careful to hide any of his thoughts.  There are very few reason someone would _not_ mention a Sentinel, whose just suffered a great personal lost, coming into his senses and those reasons are always insidious.

"A _black_ man reporting about a _white_ boy Sentinel going _feral_? During that time? You serious?"  

The look the Colonel gives the two agents would have made milk spoil on the spot.  Because they understand what he's saying.  The Colonel may not be a Sentinel but his grandfather was and even though he's gone, his traditions live on in his daughter, the Colonel's mother.  He knew what having a Sentinel for family meant.

Tribe comes first, **_always_**.

* * *

The video goes viral in _seconds_.

Social Media platforms explode with video proof of Tony Stark and his status as a Sentinel.  How has he been able to keep this hidden?  When did he first present as a Sentinel? By this point, the USGC makes a statement confirming Tony Stark's status as a Sentinel since December 16, 1991 due to a Stressor activating recessive Sentinel genes.

This information further sends the public into a frenzy.  Now all the drinking, the parties, and mindless sex are seen with new eyes, every scandal and PR nightmare is reevaluated.  

" _ **WHO IS TONY STARK?**_ "

The curiosity and obsession with Tony Stark is drowned out by public horror and outrage that a revered Sentinel was left to suffer.  That no one knew or notice Tony Stark was a Sentinel and was forced to endure situations and experiences that have proven to cripple or set off your average Sentinel.  Knowing this, all the drugs, drinks, and sex starts to look more like a cry for help.  More and more like a Sentinel spiraling into a self destructive implosion.  

A prolonged suicide.

Extra scrutiny is aimed at the time after Afghanistan.  He seemed to have pieced himself together only to take another nose dive.  Why? How?  Who is the cause?  Barely a few days pass before short essays and blog articles are being posted, deeply analyzing specific times and events.  The Expo attack, the aline invasion of New York City, Ultron and the most recent event, the Civil War. 

People take to social media, demanding the USGC investigate these incidents and the Avengers for misconduct and abuse.  In a show of good will, the United Nations surrenders to the International Criminal Court for investigation and inquiry.  The next two weeks are intense and at least two dozen officers, generals, and other individuals are prosecuted.  

General Ross refuses to cooperate and is found in contempt of court.  To his enemies and his allies, his refusal to submit to investigation comes as no surprise.  However, the President shows no mercy and throws his former Secretary to the wolves.  He practically offers Ross up on a silver platter.  When a Joint Task Force is put together to bring in the former Secretary of State, no one is surprised when the man goes down fighting and tries to take his crimes to the grave with him.  

He fails and is gunned down in a recently discovered research lab where he bunked down.  The media calls it a "Lab of Horrors", full of human corpses twisted beyond recognition, including at least a dozen Guides and prepubescent Sentinels.  The news cuts into the President for **_days_**.  While the United Nations convenes to go over the Accords for any liberties the man may have taken.

It is at this time that Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk and cousin to Dr. Bruce Banner enters the stage.  With her comes other heroes who take an interest in the Accords and make their concerns known.  Jennifer Walters and Matthew Murdock spear head majority of the amendments but representatives are quick to compromise and fold to agreements in the improved document.  

And yet...and yet...

**_"Tony Stark locked in tower with Guide for Forty Days!"_ **

The billionaire isn't forgotten.  Traditional time for Sentinel and Guide couples to settle into their bond is roughly two to three weeks.  But it is an unspoken courtesy that no two couples are the same and that they can take as long as they need to before feeling comfortable enough to return to society.  This doesn't mean the worry goes away.  Journalists and paparazzi try to get a comment from those Ms. Potts or Colonial Rhodes and fail.  

The USGC refuses to release the name of his Guide and threatens to level sanctions against anyone who releases that information.  This keeps most of the curious away but again, the USGC and Stark Industries, know that won't remain for long.  For the most part, the world continues to worry for the billionaire and his Guide.  Talk shows speculate if it's too little, too late for Sentinel Stark and his young Guide.  People fear they've both died and that they will never know the _real_ Tony stark.  The Tony Stark that is actually present in the world instead of the persona, the mask to hide just how far gone the half feral Sentinel really was.

Sympathy and admiration for Tony Stark is, at this time, at an all time high.  

It is at this time that his medical records, _mysteriously_ , get leaked to the public.  It is extensive.  It is also complete with video and photo attachments.  And it is beyond damning.  It shows exactly who the guilty party are.  

The public is quick to anger. They demand justice for the Sentinel who has suffered and endured so much pain.  They demand retribution for the Sentinel who didn't break even though he was half mad with grief and trauma, even though he'd gone so long without his Guide.

The people demand **_blood_**.


	5. Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter come to a few realization.
> 
> Tony manages to avoid the liquor cabinet. Peter aggressively builds things with Legos.

Tony doesn't know how many days its been.  He's operating in a haze.  His focus primarily on calming Peter down and keeping him from bleeding out.  

After that, however...Peter is only easily distracted for so long.  The sensory overload and then...then, the _loss_ and Tony knows the grief will hit him twice as hard later.  Much later when he isn't worried about his baby boy.

He's only partially let it out, crying with Peter in the bathroom as he helped him clean up.  He resolutely ignored the missing parts and he kept Peter distracted from the missing parts.  But Tony knows that's only a temporary solution because its going to hit Peter just as hard.

Their new reality is Peter's biggest nightmare made real.

Thankfully, FRIDAY has a massive collection of LEGO sets delivered through his private entrance and collected by his bots, decontaminated before being left in the game room.  Tony knows Peter will need them when the emotions truly hit him.

Tony might have hit the bottle like his father before him but Peter, who is _amazing_ and so much **_better_** , had chosen LEGOs as a way to vent.  He knows to some it might be childish but Tony will never _ever_ give Peter grief over his coping mechanisms.  Especially one so safe for his husband and some days when Tony feels his throat parched, feels his fingers twitch for a glass, he'll join him and Peter will babble about the things he's built or vent about the truly boring things people make instead of getting creative.

It always brings him back from the brink.

Right now, Peter cries but the tears are growing less and there's a fire growing his eyes as he comes out of his own haze.  Because this isn't normal.  This is different and not quite right.  They are **_not_** in Kansas.

Fucking hell, Dorothy really understated being whisked away to another world.  This shit is terrifying and Tony hadn't even gotten through everything that FRIDAY had started to compile.  He had to stop, unable to deal with the information and the sheer magnitude of what has happened to them.  He made sure the gym was fully prepped though, just in case, because while Peter is normally really soft and non violent, this just might be too much for even him.

* * *

Sometimes Tony hated being right and other times he's glad for it.

This is one of those time he's feeling a bit of both because Peter does come out of that haze of grief and devastation.  He absolutely **_demolishes_** the gym and Tony just gives him more stuff to wreck because he gets it.  This is an absolutely shitty situation.  He is also a little jealous because Tony is just numb right now and he wanted to vent, too.  He wanted to rage and break things but he couldn't.  He knew the emotions were there and that they would creep up on him.  But there was a disconnect somewhere and he wanted it gone.

Until then, he focused on Peter and taking care of him.  He just wasn't expecting the reason for Peter's rage.

"It's not just the weird universe jumping that gets me Tony!" Peter snaps, giving voice to his frustration. "I could handle that because of the aliens and magic, you know! I'm pretty sure all the sci-fi shows and movies are like a bunch of freaking _job_ _manuals_ for being a superhero but I'm sixteen, Tony!"

He's flailing his arms and pacing before turns to the billionaire.  The same billionaire who stops and stares incomprehensibly back at him.

"You know what that means? It means I'm back in high school! HIGH SCHOOL!"

His voices pitches on a high note and his eyes are filling up with tears.  But his words hit Tony and pierce his skull because he still saw his **_eighteen_** year old husband, who has plans to take a year off before applying to a school near the new Stark Industries headquarters.  He still saw the young adult who had created a fertility serum to work with his body type and metabolism so he could carry their own child.  Tony still saw the young man who grew into himself and who wanted to help people inside and outside of the suit.

He saw his _husband_ , who will one day become the _**mother**_ of his children.

That was the Peter that Tony saw but that wasn't the Peter Parker of _this_ world.  This Peter Parker is sixteen and still has two years of high school left.  This Peter Parker is still secretly Spiderman and has an internship with Tony Stark but not a relationship as intimate as the one they started when Peter turned seventeen.  

"If this-I mean I can't-two **_years_** Tony!" Peter turns glassy eyes to him and Tony quickly gathers him in his arms. "I would have to go through two more years of-of-of everything! Classes! Homework! The testing and the gossip! And Flash!"

Peter voices cracks at the name of his bully.  Tony tightens his grip on his baby boy.

"I was done with him, Tony." A sob passes his lips. "I was finally done with him and his friends. I was _**done**_."

"You don't have to go back, baby. You don't." Tony kisses his temple and runs his hand through his hair. "We can have you tested out or tutors come out to get you ahead.  Ned and MJ can still visit you and come over.  They can hang out and you guys can work on Decathlon if you still want that. What ever you want we can work something out."

Because if they were stuck here like Tony feared than he was going to make this shit work.

* * *

They spend the nights holding onto each other.  No sex, no talking, just quietly holding on to each other.  Clinging.  Terrified. 

Afraid if they didn't, they'd drift away and be consumed by this strange new universe.  But Tony's arms are strong and his heart beats strong, as if he were twenty years younger.  His senses are calm, back under his control despite the... _upgrades_. **_Again_**.  The color of his eyes are the only real difference, partially gold and part chocolate brown but they don't scare Peter away and that's all that really matters to Tony.

Peter is...changed.

It takes them nineteen days, twenty-three hours, forty minutes, and seventeen seconds to look into the medical files of this world's Peter.  Would it tell why Peter's parents operated?  Or May? Or Ben?  Were there complications? Were there no other options?

Only to find it was none of those things at all.  

This world's Peter is just _different_.  

Not too much but enough that it had such a hard effect on the couple.  Peter isn't really _missing_ parts so much as he _never_ _had_ them to begin with.  It's a relief to them, knowing that Peter's family didn't decide he had to be one sex over the other.  The heavy tension that's weighted them down lifts, not completely but it is easier to breathe, to relax.  

Peter adjusts easier after that.  Being transgender isn't the same as being intersex but at least his ability to _choose_ wasn't taken away.  Seeing a part of his anatomy missing...will take an adjustment but it is easier _knowing_ his family didn't cut him up and settle for one identity.  One he didn't decide for himself. 

"I can make something, make it seem like the real thing?" Tony offers, uncertain.  

He knows Peter won't take offense because his husband knows he isn't trying to be insensitive.  But this is uncharted territory for the both of them.  On the one hand, Peter is used to having both parts of his anatomy where he can see and feel them.  On the other, there is no telling if this world's Peter ever wanted that.  If they had the choice, would they want one or would they not?

"No, no. I can't make that choice. I won't do that." 

And Tony doesn't argue because he gets it.  As far as they can tell, _they_ are now this world's Tony Stark and Peter Parker.  The others are just...gone. Poof! Non-Existent.  The choices they might have made, the lives they would have lived- ** _ended_**.  Their ideas and beliefs, the core of who made them the people that they were- ** _erased_**.  Whatever their wishes, aspirations, or wants in life- ** _obliterated_**.

The worst part? No one even knows.  It's just them, just the two of them.

So, this bit, what's left of them, will remain untouched and unchanged.  A testament, no matter how distant, that they were _real_.  They _existed_.  Peter and Tony will live the best they can, of course.  There is no alternative because that would be an even greater insult to them.  

...that make the hurt any less.

* * *

When Tony finally feels himself break, it's already after dark. 

It's on day twenty-nine, and it's the first time they've really settled in.  The couple have gone over each other's medical records with a fine comb and have studied, extensively, their own DNA.  They've researched and tested and found very little difference between the two universes.  

Except for, yeah know, the _differences_.

Tony looks ten years younger, a side effect of whatever the couple have found themselves thrown into.  Tony's apple didn't **_reverse_** age.  It slowed it down and hardened the cells, a bit of the super soldier serum and extremis to stabilize each other plus cancel out the negative effects of the other.  But they didn't _take_ years away from a person.

Tony's situation was unique in that he had to use Extremis before he used the apple, so his abilities came before he essentially made himself immortal but even then, the virus didn't make him look like he was thirty again.  That would have been a PR nightmare.  

And Peter? After starting his adjustment to this world, started to freaking _glow_.  Not literally, but it was more...his presence?  It's something Tony imagines he would see in pregnant and expecting mothers.  But after...Tony doubts either of them are up for trying again anytime soon.  Maybe next year but not now, not when everything is so raw and unknown.

Sentinels and Guides? That's an entirely new playing field.

Fortunately, the internet is...somewhat helpful.  There are articles and movies galore about them.  There are medical research papers and political parties that support them.  FRIDAY highlights and uploads the most critical and most helpful essays focused on the more social aspects of this group.  Which is what they really needed because the couple knew they couldn't stay cooped up in the penthouse forever.

Basically, they spent a lot of time looking up a bunch of things on the internet and cross checking what they found then double checking the cross check.

Sort of like how they worked when experimenting in the lab.

It helps.

Tony sighs tiredly but his limbs have a familiar fatigue to them.  One that comes after long hours doing something productive, even if it's just research.  This world is his world now.  He can feel that fact is the truth, down to his bones and the marrow in them.  When he leaves the safety of his home, the world will expect Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, philanthrophist, and Iron Man.  The masses and the vultures will poke and prod for weaknesses and at the first hint of blood, they will feast.

He has no intention of giving them that satisfaction.

Peter nests in the living room, blankets piled high on the love seat, and browsing through the thousands of movies and tv shows at his fingertips.  It brings a warm smile to the man's face, knowing his husband/fiancee is relaxing after the emotional roller coaster they've endured.  Tony fiddles with the coffee machine so that it makes hot chocolate instead, with the milk heated just the way Peter likes it.  Tony opens a cabinet and reaches for the mint extract he had made for Peter's sweet tooth-

-nothing.

Tony blinks and frowns before opening another cabinet.  There should be a twelve ounce bottle right in front of him but...there isn't.  He moves the other spices and ingredients around.  Nothing.

Where is...? Where is it?

Tony frowns and goes for Peter's cup, sometimes Peter likes to put the bottle in it.  A throwaway from living with his Aunt and limited cabinet space.  

He opens another cabinet and stops.

Peter's favorite cups are the blue ceramic [snoopy](https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m10791568201/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1659615982&utm_content=t0&adgroup=65415769353&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=117158171&product_id=m10791568201&product_id=531714383748&gclid=CjwKCAiAsoviBRAoEiwATm8OYMONlOQ7HCgtginAILVQSSGHU9oiM4XLrO0CuVHe6IbbAo7e89A4SBoCyUYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) mug and the pink "I'm Daddy's Princess" cup.  Tony, in his usual fashion, had bought a number of different mugs for his partner.  He filled an entire cabinet of them: Star Wars, SpongeBob, Minnie Mouse, Science puns, Lilo and Stitch, and even a few tea sets made their way to the collection like [Cinderella](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68105287@N03/15925716233/in/photostream/), a Peter [Rabbit](https://www.amazon.com/Beatrix-Potter-Friends-Reutter-Porcelain/dp/B004IZKU62/ref=pd_day0_hl_79_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004IZKU62&pd_rd_r=0d0c0c42-1c2d-11e9-b14a-83fc1d3356e7&pd_rd_w=ASAwl&pd_rd_wg=OUVkz&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=27JDJ7NAR9H0X1PAXW8Q&psc=1&refRID=27JDJ7NAR9H0X1PAXW8Q) set and even an Alice in Wonderland [tea](https://www.amazon.com/Disney-Wonderland-Tea-Mad-Party/dp/B071775CGR) set.

But there are no cups...

Tony doesn't even realize he isn't breathing.  He doesn't know where he is, what this is. Where is Peter? Where is his Peter?

Darkness creeps in from the edge of his vision but he ignores it.

Because no cups mean no Peter. Peter isn't here. He's gone and Tony can't do this without him-

 _He's floating, floating, floating away. The sky is DaRk and the air is gOnE.  Draining from His lungs, hIs heart, hiS eyes, hIs ears and the nUke is buRniNg in frOnT of him, **bUrnIng and BurNinG**  with sInGle fOcUs.  Burning Ev **eR** ytH **i** Ng in Fr **o** N **t** of i **T**  b **U** t N **oT**_ b **uR** Ni **n** G  _ **enough!**_ _-_

_-And he's falling through light, through air and soft clouds.  Falling to his knees in the burning sand! **hands** in his chest!falling on his backto the bottom of the ocean/a **NoOSe** around his **nEcK** - _

_But_ _there's never anyone there to hear him scream._

* * *

He wakes up warm.

There is a heart beating beneath his ear.

 _Peter_.

The tension bleeds out of him and Tony lets himself slip back under.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this took so long! But RL got in the way and then the chapter got too long for me so I cut this in half. This was supposed to be a quick one-two hit before getting into the meat of the AU but my brain sent me a big fat 'fuck you' so...this is where were at.
> 
> Peter is 17, the LEGAL age of consent. Antis who come at me, be warned, I don't have time for your BS. I have a grandmother who knows witchcraft and if you annoy me, I can MAKE you like Starker. Try me. See if I'm Bluffing. RL is hard enough without Antis' delusions mucking up the fandoms. 
> 
> (And if you don't like the ship wtf are you doing here?)


End file.
